Chicago (2-4) at Philadelphia (2-3) 4:15 EST
By Tony Moss, NFL Editor
Not so long ago, both the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears called themselves NFC Champions.
As the two prepare to play at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, they must now call themselves last-place teams.
The 2004 conference titlist and 2006 division champion Eagles rebounded a tad from a 1-3 start in last week’s 16-9 win at the Jets, but are still in danger of being swept aside in the ultra-competitive NFC East. Philadelphia begins Week 7 well behind the 5-1 Cowboys, and the 4-2 Giants and 3-2 Redskins have already defeated Andy Reid’s team.
Needless to say, a return trip to the postseason and a chance at that elusive Super Bowl title will have to begin with a strong, winning effort against the Bears on Sunday.
Which brings us to Chicago, which has displayed all the hallmarks of the “runner-up jinx” that has plagued most of the Super Bowl losers of the current decade.
One week after seemingly righting the ship in a Sunday night road win over the Packers in Week 5, Lovie Smith’s squad crashed to earth with a 34-31 loss to the Vikings at Soldier Field last week.
The Bears were gutted for more than 300 yards on the ground, including 224 to go along with three touchdowns from Minnesota rookie sensation Adrian Peterson. Peterson’s yardage total, which assisted the Vikings in moving past the Bears into third place in the NFC North, was a record for a Chicago foe.
The win for Minnesota was its first at Soldier Field since 2000.
SERIES HISTORY
The Bears hold a 24-8-1 lead in the all-time series with Philadelphia, though the Eagles have won five of the last six regular season meetings dating back to 1994. The last head-to-head meeting between the teams took place in 2004, when Reid’s charges went into Soldier Field and emerged with a 19-9 victory. The Eagles have won the last two meetings between the teams in Philly, including a 13-9 win in the last such matchup, in 2000. Chicago last beat the Eagles in 1995, and last won in Philadelphia in 1993.
The Eagles have won two of the three postseason meetings with Chicago all- time, including a 33-19 road win in a 2001 NFC Divisional Playoff. Perhaps the teams’ most memorable confrontation came in the infamous 1988 “Fog Bowl,” an NFC Divisional Playoff in the Windy City that Chicago won, 20-12.
Reid is 5-0 in his career against Chicago, including the ‘01 postseason tilt. The Bears’ Smith is 0-1 against both Reid and Philadelphia as a head coach.
WHEN THE BEARS HAVE THE BALL
Week 6 was a mixed bag for Bears quarterback Brian Griese (881 passing yards, 7 TD, 6 INT), who threw for 381 yards and three touchdowns but also committed three turnovers in a losing effort. Griese was nearly the fourth-quarter hero for Chicago, throwing touchdown passes of 33 and 81 yards to Muhsin Muhammad (12 receptions, 2 TD) and Devin Hester (2 receptions, 1 TD) in a span of 58 seconds to turn a 31-17 deficit into a tie game. Wideout Bernard Berrian (30 receptions) and rookie tight end Greg Olsen (11 receptions, 1 TD) were Griese’s most frequent targets on the day, as both finished with five receptions and Berrian added his first touchdown of the season. Establishing the run figures to be a priority on Sunday for a Chicago team that ranks as the only team in the NFL that has yet to break a run of 20 yards or longer. Former first-round pick Cedric Benson (370 rushing yards, 2 TD), who carried 18 times for 67 yards against the Vikings, is still awaiting his breakout game. The Bears line has not done a great job of providing holes for Benson, and has also surrendered 18 sacks through its first six contests.
Griese will be going up against a Philadelphia defense that, even amid injuries, has surrendered just one offensive touchdown in its last 10 quarters of play. The Eagles did a good job on Jets quarterback Chad Pennington last Sunday, allowing just 128 yards through the air, sacking Pennington three times, and intercepting him once. Ends Jevon Kearse (9 tackles, 2.5 sacks) and Trent Cole (23 tackles, 6 sacks) had two of the sacks, while cornerback Sheldon Brown (24 tackles, 2 INT) provided a key interception. The secondary will get a boost this week if cornerback Lito Sheppard (knee) and safety Brian Dawkins (neck) can both return after extended absences. The Eagles are ninth in the NFL against the run (91.2 yards per game) as Week 7 begins, but come off a week in which they allowed Thomas Jones to rush for a season-high 130 yards on 24 carries. Looking to slow Benson in the trenches will be tackles Mike Patterson (24 tackles, 1.5 sacks) and Brodrick Bunkley (10 tackles, 2 sacks), both of whom were quiet last Sunday, with linebackers Takeo Spikes (32 tackles) and Omar Gaither (30 tackles, 1 INT) among those making plays behind the d-linemen.
WHEN THE EAGLES HAVE THE BALL
The Eagles looked much better offensively against the Jets last Sunday than they had in the previous game’s 12-sack meltdown against the Giants, but still had some trouble finishing off drives on a day when they finished with one touchdown to five field goal attempts. Donovan McNabb (1221 passing yards, 6 TD, 2 INT) threw for 278 yards on 22-of-35 passing with a 75-yard touchdown strike to Kevin Curtis and one interception to show for his day. The quarterback’s protection was much better, as left tackle William Thomas returned to the lineup for a team that surrendered a much easier-to-digest three sacks on the day. Curtis (24 receptions, 4 TD), who finished with five catches for 121 yards and the score, has a total of eight catches for 102 yards without a touchdown in the team’s three losses this year. Fellow wideout Reggie Brown (14 receptions) comes off his biggest day of 2007 to date, a six-catch, 89-yard effort. In the running game, Brian Westbrook (411 rushing yards, 25 receptions, 3 TD) showed no effects of a chest injury that held him out against the Giants, rushing for 120 yards on 20 carries versus the Jets and adding six receptions for 36 yards out of the backfield.
Westbrook will likely get numerous opportunities to shred a Chicago defense that was historically bad against the run last week. The Bears allowed 311 ground yards, 7.2 yards per carry, and touchdown runs of 67, 73, and 35 yards to Peterson. Linebackers Brian Urlacher (42 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 INT) and Lance Briggs (45 tackles, 1 sack) will be among those attempting to reverse their porous showing of Week 6, and tackles Tommie Harris (15 tackles, 4 sacks) and Anthony Adams (9 tackles) have to provide more of a presence at the point of attack. Tackle Darwin Walker (7 tackles), a member of the Eagles from 2001 through 2006, could miss the showdown with his former team due to a knee problem. A Chicago secondary that has been beset by injuries and inconsistency for much of the year is set to make yet another change this week, as Danieal Manning (22 tackles, 1 INT) moves from cornerback to free safety. With Nathan Vasher out for a fourth straight game due to a groin strain, the cornerbacks will be Charles Tillman (23 tackles) and either Ricky Manning, Jr., (13 tackles) or Trumaine McBride (5 tackles). The Chicago pass rush has generated 18 sacks thus far on the year, including four from end Mark Anderson (12 tackles).
FANTASY FOCUS
The Bears don’t have a lot of absolute must fantasy starts, but Griese, Benson, Berrian, Olsen, and kicker Robbie Gould figure to get managers some points. The Chicago defense, not so long ago an absolute fantasy no-brainer, must now be re-evaluated since it has displayed little of its former dominance this season. On the Philadelphia side, Westbrook is a must-play, and McNabb and Curtis are probable plays. Curtis has been extremely hit-or-miss, so be forewarned. The Eagles defense doesn’t make an overwhelming amount of big plays, but probably won’t hurt you either. Normally reliable kicker David Akers is just 1-of-5 from 40 yards or beyond this year, so you might want to look elsewhere.
OVERALL ANALYSIS
Neither of these teams has much of an identity at this stage, as both have experienced problems in all phases. The Bears went from a team that couldn’t get out of its own way offensively to one that refuses to get in enough people’s way defensively, and also had notable special teams lapses against the Vikings last week. The Eagles have only looked great on offense in one of their five games, against Detroit in Week 3, and haven’t had important defensive stars like Dawkins and Sheppard since the early stages of the season. Because Philadelphia looks to be getting healthier, and Chicago does not, give the edge to the homestanding Eagles in this game. It won’t be easy, since the Bears come into Philly as a desperate team, but look for McNabb to make one more play than Griese in the endgame.
Predicted Outcome: Eagles 20, Bears 17
TMac Quick Hits: Again Tony you have your head up your Philly Cheeze Steak ASS! Your Chunky Soup QB (T.O. was right about him) will be hitting the turf again hard in this one with style points on showing how hurt he is against this big Bears D! BEARS OUTRIGHT on the road!
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